Parliamentary questions
Foysol Choudhury
467 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of children who left primary school in June (a) 2019 and (b) 2020 were able to swim, broken down by (i) sex and (ii) race.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. However, in 2021-22, sport scotland invested approximately £1,315,600 into Scottish Swimming. Over the past five years, sport scotland has invested £6,836,282 into Scottish Swimming.…
23 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken by NHS Scotland to examine any variations in the effectiveness of medical devices such as oximeters on patients from different ethnic groups.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The member is referred to the answers to S6W-05473 on 24 January 2022 and S6W-06312 on 21 February 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parli…
23 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to the independent review into the health impact of potential bias in medical devices and the impact on patients from different ethnic groups, and whether it plans to take forward any of the review's recommendations where the…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is in regular discussion with the UK Government about the Independent Review into the health impact of potential bias in medical devices, announced by the Department of Health and Social Care on 21 November 2021. The primary purpose o…
22 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the recommendations made in the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee's pre-budget scrutiny report on funding for culture are addressed in its draft Budget 2022-23.
Answer · Angus Robertson: I responded to the Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny report on 23 December and my letter is published on the Parliament’s website.
16 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what equalities monitoring is in place in relation to delayed discharge figures; whether it will report on any differential impacts that have been identified, and what steps it is taking to address any inequalities identified in relation to (a) BAME, (b) female and (c) disabled patients.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Delayed discharge data can be broken down by age, gender and specialty of treatment. Ethnicity and disability is not routinely collected although there is potential for ethnicity to be identified through linked data.
16 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-34766 by Fiona Hyslop on 2 February 2021, what progress has been made on its work with the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and Skills Development Scotland to improve data sharing in order to (a) better understand what activi…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government continues to work with partners, including Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Local Government and the UK Government, to ensure that access to quality data helps to improve our understanding of the employment and training activities un…
16 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of patients who are awaiting discharge require an intermediate care facility, broken down by NHS board area, and how it will increase the availability of intermediate care provision where it is most needed.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Information on the number of patients delayed waiting for an Intermediate Care bed is published by Public Health Scotland within the delayed discharge monthly census which is available at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-n…
16 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04471 by Kevin Stewart on 26 November 2021, by what date it will report on the progress made in tackling delayed discharges in Edinburgh, including progress made through the weekly meetings.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Public Health Scotland publish a monthly census of delayed discharges in Scotland, broken down by Health Board and Local Authority, which allows for public scrutiny of progress in every partnership. The Scottish Government will continue to engage with the Ch…
16 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-04471 by Kevin Stewart on 26 November 2021, whether it will provide details of (a) the factors and (b) specific challenges identified that are giving rise to higher delayed discharge figures in Edinburgh.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership has been experiencing a period of significant hospital flow pressures due to a combination of sustained front door attendances and workforce issues and a drop in packages of care at home capacity, which has contrib…
15 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to keep pavements free from e-scooters.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Electric scooters (e-scooters) are illegal to ride on streets and in other public places across Scotland due to a number of pieces of UK-wide and Scottish legislation. E-scooters can only be ridden legally on private land with the owner’s permission. The UK …
15 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is in place to ensure that the use of e-scooters on roads does not place drivers and pedestrians at risk.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Electric scooters (e-scooters) are illegal to ride on streets and in other public places across Scotland due to a number of pieces of UK-wide and Scottish legislation. The Scottish Government supports Police Scotland’s recent warning for people looking to pu…
15 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many injuries have been reported as a result of the use of e-scooters on roads and pavements.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Police Scotland collect data on road traffic accidents that were a) reported to the police and b) involved someone being injured or killed. The latest statistics available are up to 2020. The following table shows the number and severity of casualties who we…
15 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow e-scooter trials, similar to those currently being piloted in England.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Whilst the use of powered transporters and decisions around their introduction and associated legislative changes are primarily a matter for the UK Government, additional legislation and associated guidance would be required in Scotland to allow trials to tak…
15 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies, as a proportion of the required staff complement within each Health Protection Team in each local authority, are currently waiting to be filled.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on Local Authority workforce data or vacancies.
15 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of hospitality businesses are using the (a) Check-in Scotland and (b) Test and Protect systems, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: It is not currently possible to identify the number of hospitality businesses nor the proportion of hospitality businesses that use the Check-in Scotland service. Whilst the collecting of customers contact details is a legal requirement, use of the Check-in S…
15 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring is in place to ensure that cafes, bars and restaurants record the contact details of those who use their premises.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government continues to promote the requirement for hospitality businesses to collect contact details from visitors to their premises, in line with regulations and guidance, to support the work of local Health Protection teams. Use of the Check I…
15 Dec 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many fixed penalty notices have been issued to hospitality businesses under the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 in each quarter since they came into force, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Local authorities and Police have a range of powers under the current Coronavirus regulations, including the power to issue notices and directions on businesses to take specific actions. Similar powers have been in place under previous regulations. Enforcemen…
24 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional measures it is considering to help clear the reported backlog of court cases that has built up over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
17 Nov 2021 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued related to the funding of ventilation in schools.
16 Nov 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the reported increase in delayed discharge cases in NHS Lothian.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnerships have all made progress in reducing delayed discharges but numbers remain high in Edinburgh, given the specific challenges in the city. The four Health and Social Care Partnerships a…
9 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage the public to travel by bus, in light of reports that the recent Transport Scotland COVID-19 transport trends indicate that concessionary bus travel is down by 35% on pre-pandemic levels.
3 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate additional funding in its forthcoming Budget to provide pay increases for frontline public sector workers.
21 Oct 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the safety of club-goers, in light of reports of people being spiked by injection in nightclubs.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has been, and continues to be, in daily contact with Police Scotland on recent reports of spiking. I also chaired a roundtable with partners and representatives from across the sector on 4 November to discuss how we can achieve the ri…
19 Oct 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to join the National Pancreatic Cancer Audit.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The national pancreatic cancer audit is an NHS England initiative and Scotland participates in UK audits (Scottish Cancer Registry data is provided by Public Health Scotland). The Scottish HepatoPancreatoBiliary Network (SHPBN) has reported HepatoPancreatoBil…
19 Oct 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported survivability bias in the Cancer Patient Experience Survey to ensure that the experiences of patients with a less survivable cancer are captured.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The care experience survey programme, of which the Cancer Patient Experience Survey is part of, is due to be under review shortly to allow for the context of COVID-19. The Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey is run in partnership with Macmillan Cancer …
13 Oct 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that customers at hospitality businesses such as cafés, bars and restaurants are using the Check in Scotland and Test and Protect systems, in order to tackle the spread of COVID-19.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government continues to encourage all businesses, including hospitality businesses, to encourage their customers to use the Check-In Scotland and Test and Protect systems. This activity includes engagement with businesses and sector organisations…
29 Sep 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the reported increase in underemployment.
29 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people who do not have internet access can easily arrange their (a) flu and (b) COVID-19 booster vaccination.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Consideration for people who do not have digital access has been built into our vaccination programme from the start. Communication has gone out via non-digital channels and we have also undertaken a door-to-door paper leaflet drop with important information …
29 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people can easily rearrange their flu vaccination appointments and that these take place locally.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: We are working with NHS Scotland Health Boards to put in place delivery models for the 2021-22 seasonal flu vaccination programme to suit local circumstances, whilst maintaining a COVID-19 safe environment and maximising efficiency. If someone is unable to a…
13 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what immediate steps it is taking to improve waiting times in NHS Lothian, in light of reports of waits of over 15 hours for ambulance transport from St John’s Hospital in Livingston for specialist hospital treatment in Edinburgh.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Ambulance services around the UK, as well as the wider NHS, are experiencing unprecedented demand – largely because of COVID but also due to a combination of increasingly complex cases, staffing challenges and exceptionally busy emergency departments. That i…